Ajay lay unconscious on the blood-soaked ground. Yet no beast nor zombie dared approach him. The predator's aura still lingered, the silent command of an uncrowned king at rest. Instinct screamed at the lesser creatures: Do not disturb him. Make a sound, and you will be devoured.
Time trickled by.
When his eyes finally opened, pain exploded through him. Every bone throbbed, every muscle screamed. His body was battered to the edge of collapse, but his instincts roared louder: Move. Hide. Survive.
If anyone found him like this, he would be nothing more than a fish laid out on a butcher's board.
He staggered to his feet, swaying, and forced himself forward. Every step was an act of will. Soon he found a crumbling building and slipped inside, burying himself in the shadows.
Only then did he dare open the system screen.
The interface pulsed into view. A low hum vibrated through his bones. Warm mana surged through him, stitching torn muscle, sealing cracked ribs, mending flesh with burning light. Pain dissolved into strength. His body—reborn.
The screen glowed:
[Status Screen]
Name: Ajay
Race: Human
Class: None (Locked until Lv.10)
Level: 10
HP: 1100 | MP: 600
Strength: 20
Agility: 37
Dexterity: 28
Endurance: 21
Intelligence: 27
Mana Power: 20
Magic Control: 16
Elemental Affinity: Shadow / Blood
Free Stat Points: 0
Skills: [Shadow Drift], [Piercing Thrust]
[Class System Unlocked]
Please choose one option from below:
Assassin Advance (Stealth Evolution)
The knife in the dark. A predator of silence and speed.
Innate Traits:
Stealth Mastery (+50% stealth effectiveness; movements completely silent even while sprinting).
First Strike (first attack from stealth deals 2.5x critical damage).
Core Skills:
Umbral Step (short-range teleport to shadow; 2 seconds invisibility).
Heartpiercer (dagger strike ignores armor; causes Bleed = 20% total HP).
Deathmark (marks a target; all attacks deal +30% damage until slain).
Dark Magician (Caster Evolution)
The will to unravel flesh and mind with shadow and blood sorcery.
Innate Traits:
Blood Harvest (regenerates mana from spilled blood nearby).
Dark Curses (spells apply Bleed + Fear debuffs).
Core Skills:
Crimson Grasp (blood hand restrains target, drains HP, heals caster).
Umbral Maw (vortex of shadows pulls enemies, deals continuous damage).
Blood Rite (sacrifice 20% HP for massive AoE damage; heal from fallen foes).
Crimson Shade (Fusion Evolution)
The silent killer who enslaves the shadows of his prey.
Innate Traits:
Dual Affinity (fuses Blood & Shadow into unique combinations).
Oathkeeper's Will (form contracts; 1 minion slot per 5 levels).
Silent Killer (first strike from stealth applies Bleed = 10% over 5 sec).
Core Skills:
Blood Silence (bind enemy with a blood-shadow tether, silencing them).
Reaper's Step (dash through shadows, appear at enemy's blind spot, disorient).
Shadow Contract (bind slain enemy's shadow into a Phantom Minion, retaining abilities & style at 50% stats).
He knew this was the most important decision of his life. He began to study each class, comparing them on three critical parameters: adaptability, the stat points they provided, and how well each knit together with his fighting style.
First, he considered the Assassin Advance class. He was already a master assassin. This class was a linear evolution of his current fighting style, offering more speed and flashier moves. The stat breakdown confirmed his suspicion: it gave him a total of 9 stat points (4 in Agility, 2 in Strength, 2 in Dexterity, and 1 in Mana), focusing entirely on his physical abilities. While deadly, it was a stagnant path. It would ignore his growing magical skills, which had saved his life more than once.
Next, he studied the Dark Magician. Its theme was about power through sorcery and range. It offered a staggering 14 stat points (6 in Intelligence, 4 in Mana, and 4 in Magic Control). But the skills were for a caster, not a close-quarters fighter like him. To choose this class would be to abandon his core identity as a silent killer. It was a powerful path, but it was not his.
Finally, he looked at the Crimson Shade. This class was something new, a fusion of magic and combat woven together. Its skills were a blended mix of stealth and sorcery. It also offered a total of 14 stat points (6 in Agility, 4 in Intelligence, and 2 in both Magic Control and Mana), proving it was just as valuable as the Dark Magician.
As he considered the classes' skills, the choice became clear. The Assassin class offered pure combat, and the Dark Magician offered pure magic. But the Crimson Shade offered both. The skills were a perfect blend of his fighting style and his affinities. Reaper's Step was a more advanced version of his old tactics, and Blood Silence was a creative way to use his blood magic in close combat.
But it was the Shadow Contract skill that sealed his decision. This new skill, a summoning ability, was a game-changer. He could bind the shadows of his foes and create his own army. He remembered the feeling of being outnumbered by Sid's horde, by the Red Fang gang. With this skill, he would never have to fight alone again. If he had the power to create minions, shadows of his enemies twisted into loyal weapons—he would never fight alone again.
For too long he had walked as a lone wolf. But this path offered the beginnings of an army. His own faction. His own family.
He smiled faintly. Decision made.
Ajay did not waste any more time. He selected Crimson Shade as his class.
[System Notification: Class selected.]
[Class: Crimson Shade]
[Stat Gain per Level]Agility: 6Intelligence: 4Magic Control: 2Mana: 2
[Free Stat Points: 5 per level]
[Updated Status Screen]
Name: Ajay
Race: Human
Class: Crimson Shade
Level: 10
HP: 1100 | MP: 600
Strength: 20
Agility: 43
Dexterity: 28
Endurance: 21
Intelligence: 31
Mana Power: 22
Magic Control: 18
Free Stat Points: 2
Innate Skill: [Oathkeeper's Will]
Skills: [Piercing Thrust], [Blood Silence], [Reaper's Step], [Shadow Contract]
System Notice: [Shadow Drift] + [Reaper's Step] combined → New Skill: [Shadow Reaper]
Ajay's grin sharpened. "Not bad."
But before he could test his new power, Suddenly, the screen lit up, and a message appeared. It was the first time he had seen a message like this.
A crimson glow devoured his vision.
[System Message: Greeting, user. Overlord requests connection. Stabilize?]
[Yes] [No]
Ajay's hand hovered. "What happens if I choose Yes?"
[If Yes → The Overlord will give you a path.]
[If No → The request will disappear.]
His pulse quickened. A path. Answers. Maybe the truth about the apocalypse Sid had whispered about. He chose Yes.
The screen turned blood-red.
A voice filled him—deep, resonant, ancient.
"Greetings, human. I am Blood, the Overlord of the Blood Race. I have seen your affinity with Shadow and Blood. I can give you a future. Will you choose it?"
Ajay narrowed his eyes. "And what do you want in return? What can you give me?"
"What I want: my race revived. The Bloods. Or, as you humans call us… Vampires."
Ajay clenched his jaw. "And how am I supposed to revive a dead race? I'm barely level ten. You expect me to rebuild a species?"
The Overlord chuckled, low and amused. "Courageous. Instead of bowing, you question. Good. I can give you knowledge. Truths about this world, about the apocalypse already unfolding. In return, you must grow. Form a faction. Seize dominion. Before your second class evolution, you will revive my kin."
Ajay considered the weight of the bargain.
"I'll agree—but with conditions. One: I'm no slave. We're partners. Two: the decision to revive your race will be mine. My terms, my way."
A pause. Then the voice rumbled with approval.
"Accepted. But you must swear: before your second evolution, my race will live again."
[System Notification: The Blood Overlord has requested you join his Faction.]
[Yes] [No]
Ajay exhaled slowly. Then pressed Yes.
[Faction Unlocked → Blood Faction]
The Overlord's voice returned, silk wrapped around steel. "Good. From this day, you are my chosen. I will grant knowledge. In time, I will grant more. Together, we will raise a new dominion. Tell me, Ajay—are you ready to bleed the world?"
Ajay's lips curled into a grim smile. "I was born ready."